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Report promises more homes and jobs for Cornwall

Published
by
Emma Carton
at
8:12am 14th June 2018
(Updated 8:14am 14th June 2018)

A big report promises to build 1,000 new homes for Cornwall over the next three years.

Cornwall Council has published its annual report which sets out what it has achieved in the past year and its priorities for the next 12 months.

An introduction from council leader Adam Paynter and chief executive Kate Kennally was printed in English and Cornish.

It states: "Our commitment is to work with the people of Cornwall to use our resources wisely, protect our unique environment, create more homes and jobs for residents and ensure we can all live well and safely together".

The introduction goes on to highlight that the council “ranks among the best in the country for providing new affordable homes - over 900 in 2017/18”.

It adds that the council plans to build 1,000 homes over the next three years.

It also states that the council's fairer funding campaign 'reached' 88,000 people as well as all south west council leaders.

In healthy Cornwall the council states that investment in social care freed up more than 1,000 bed days in hospitals compared to the previous year.

It also highlights that the number of people rough sleeping in Cornwall dropped from 99 to 68 and that the council, working with partners, has helped more than 1,600 people to stop smoking.

The council says that with its partners it has helped 75% of children leaving care in Cornwall to gain education, training or employment, one of the highest rates in the country.

It also reduced the number of teenage pregnances by 10% to a level which is 45% lower than in 2008.

In the section on homes for Cornwall the council states that 10,300 social homes are provided for local people and managed by Cornwall Housing. The council is also making 1,600 homes a year cheaper to heat for vulnerable residents with energy efficiency improvements.

The council is also bringing empty and dilapidated homes back into use with its empty homes loan scheme.

It also highlights work being done to improve planning and developments with 73% of planning appeals being successfully defeated increasing from 60% in 2016.

The report's section on green and prosperous Cornwall points to the council launching a £3.5million programme to turn urban spaces across Cornwall into green havens for people and wildlife as well as getting international dark sky landscape status for Bodmin Moor.

It also highlights the council adding more plastic materials to the kerbside recycling service and committing to be a single-use plastic free council by 2020.

The council also mentions that 35% of Cornwall's electricity now comes from renewable sources, up from 32% the previous year.

In connecting Cornwall the council flags up major works which have been done to improve roads including the surface of the A390 at Gunnislake, junction improvements at Treluswell and signal improvements at Carkeel.

It also highlights the bid to have the UK's first spaceport in Cornwall which could create 900 jobs.

Contactless ticketing on buses is also another achievement by the council and the continued work to bring superfast broadband into Cornwall.

The final section on democratic Cornwall highlights the 750 grants which have been made to community groups and the support given to 12 more communities to bring forward neighbourhood development plans which set guidelines for future developments.